


Before the clock strikes twelve

by dragonesdepapel



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Mutual Pining, Some Swearing, look this is a fake dating au please don't question my logic too much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2019-10-10 13:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17426474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonesdepapel/pseuds/dragonesdepapel
Summary: Catra leaned forwards, grabbing her by the shoulders. Adora could have sworn her eyes were sparkling from the excitement. “Adora, you know what you should do? You should be my date.”





	1. Chapter 1

“Remind me again why we are doing this?”

“Because we want to help the Horde?”

Catra stretched, making herself more comfortable on Adora’s couch. “No, that can’t be it. The Horde is terrible and it made us miserable.”

Seeing that her previous spot was now occupied, Adora took a seat next to the couch. “The Horde took us in when we had nothing, Catra.” She glared at her mug. After a second, she put it back on the coffee table with a sigh. The invitation was still there, Catra hadn’t bothered to pick it up. “No, you are right. We are not doing this for them. It’s for all the children that are still there and have to deal Mrs. S.’ shitty brand of parenting.”

This was a conversation they had had many times in the past. Catra's usual approach was to pretend they hadn’t. Adora always did her the courtesy of playing along. “You seriously think you can do something for them?”

“This whole thing is about getting them investors, right? We can lure in the ones who will actually care about making it a better place. We are the bait, after all.”

“Correction: you, Adora, princess of perfection, are the bait. I’m just there so S. can have a safe place where to dump all of her frustration without anyone noticing how much of a jerk she really is.”

“First of all, you are a successful entrepreneur and app developer.”

“And second?”

“There’s no second. You are right about Mrs. S., she’s the worst.”

“Ugh, she really is,” Catra groaned, throwing her head back. She missed the smirk that slowly spread across Adora’s face.

“You know what you should do?”

Catra closed her eyes. “Get on a plane right now so I can be on a whole different time zone by the time the fundraiser arrives?”

“You should bring a date.”

That got her attention. She frowned at Adora. “A date? How is a date...” She trailed off, her eyes widening as realization hit her. Her smile was sharp. “That could be fun.”

It had mostly been a joke, but Adora’s mind was already running through the possible benefits. “That way you won’t have to be alone with her either.”

Catra was a bit more difficult to sidetrack. She sat up with her feet on the couch, eager to pounce on the idea. “Yeah, but can you imagine her face when I introduce my girlfriend to potential investors?”

“It would be useful too. It might help weed out the homophobic ones.”

 “Imagine Hordark trying to maintain a civil conversation so no one finds out how much of a bigoted asshole he really is.”

“And think about the children seeing you walk in with a girlfriend! It would have meant so much to me to see something like that when we were kids.”

Suddenly, Catra leaned forwards. She grabbed her by the shoulders, and Adora could have sworn her eyes were sparkling from the excitement. “Adora, you know what you should do?” She didn’t give her enough time to answer. “You should be my date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! First multichaptered fic. Wish me luck I guess? I've got like...65%? of it written already because I didn't want to start posting before I was absolutely sure I would finish it.


	2. Chapter 2

If she was being honest, Catra never actually thought she’d go through with their plan. Mainly because she had never planned to attend the event anyway. Fly two hours, stay at a fancy hotel and play nice, all for Mrs. S. and Hordak’s benefit? Yeah, it wasn’t happening.

But, as always, she had underestimated Adora. She found out her schedule for the month so they could fly together, she texted Catra her room number so she could ask for one on the same floor, she reminded her to get her outfit ready. She was, generally, an annoying buzz in her ear for the next three weeks. So not much different from the usual really.

Granted, she couldn’t have done all of that without Catra’s cooperation, but she preferred to think that it was further proof of her friend’s annoying micromanaging rather than of her own weakness. In earlier years, Catra would have hated herself for not attempting to resist Adora’s pull. She was over it now. Adora didn’t define her, and Catra’s needs came before anything else. The truth, plain and simple, was that making Adora happy made Catra happy. She figured she had already been through enough bullshit in her life to deserve to indulge in that at least.

But if she was going to do this, she’d do it on her own terms, Mrs. S. and Hordak be damned. And she’d have fun while she was at it.

“I’m not so sure about this, Catra.”

“What are you talking about, this was your idea.”

“Well, yes, but I never said it had to be me,” she complained.

“Look, it’s perfect this way. S. could arrange to get me and my date thrown out but she could never do the same thing with you. She’ll have to bite her tongue and endure it, because half of her business plan depends on you being your perfect self and getting those suckers to empty their pockets for them.” She didn’t give her a chance to reply. Adora couldn’t argue with that logic anyway. “Now c'mon, stop whining and use those arms of yours to carry all this stuff.”

Ever efficient, Adora grabbed both of their suitcases and walked forward. When they reached the gates, Catra got their passports from her purse and handed them over.

Once they took their seats, Catra tried to distract herself with her phone. Adora’s nervous energy was contagious.

“You don’t have to do it,” she finally relented. “Not if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

Adora kept fidgeting with the seatbelt and it was taking Catra all of her self-control not to grab her hand and stop her.

“Do you think we can pull it off?”

“That’s what this is about?” Catra snorted. 

“I’m not that good at pretending.”

That wasn’t exactly true, and Catra was going to point it put when she noticed Adora’s bitten lips. Images of injured lips and palms with moon shaped marks crossed her mind. Adora’s old habits. She had always had trouble staying still, especially when she was told to. S. hadn’t liked it. So she would bite her lips until they bled. She would sink her nails on her skin. But she’d stay still.

It had taken her years to get rid of those impulses. And just like that, one of them was back. Adora wasn’t worried about lying, she was worried about lying to Mrs. S.

For a second, anger and nausea brew in her stomach. Catra pushed it back.

“She won’t suspect a thing. And if she does, then what? It’s not like she can do anything about it.”

Adora looked down at her lap. “I guess you are right.”

Catra searched around in her backpack. “Here,” she said, handing her some chewing gum.

She got a smile with her thank you, but it was short-lived. “You know I’m not doing this for her, right?”

“Of course you aren’t, you are just trying to help those kids in the only way you can.”

They had tried, for years, to get The Horde to shut down. No matter what they did, no matter who they talked to, all they found were dead ends. In the end, they had decided to let it go. It wasn’t good for either of them.

If Hordak or Mrs. S. had ever learned any of it, they hadn’t showed it. S. had always been all too happy to receive Adora and her beneficence, be it money or volunteer work. Catra had tried to convince her that the best she could do was to cut all ties with the place, but Adora never could.

Catra hadn’t set a foot in the orphanage since the night she had turned eighteen and she had planned to keep it that. The invitation to the fundraiser had still found its way to her mailbox.

“Thanks for doing this for me.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to be my line. Not that you are getting it but...”

Adora didn’t let herself be diverted. “I know how hard this must be for you. It’s hard for me too. I don’t think I could do it without you.”

“Like anything could keep you from playing the hero.”

That got her to laugh, and she finally relaxed. Catra eyed her hands, but they were busy with her purse. Sometimes Catra could get so wrapped up in her own issues that she forgot that the past had left its marks on Adora too.

“Now,” said Adora, a notebook in her hand. “If we want this to work, we have to be prepared.”

Catra groaned dramatically, but they still spent the next hour going over every detail that Adora deemed necessary to pull off their ruse. In the end, the only way to shut her up was for Catra to wrap her arms around one of hers and use her hostage shoulder as a pillow. Adora woke her up right before they landed.


	3. Chapter 3

Once she was ready, Catra made her way to Adora's room.

It took her a few seconds to answer the door. She gave Catra a short greeting as she spun around and walked back to the mirror. Her usual ponytail was low on the back of her head, like she had hastily put on her dress a moment before. Knowing Adora, that was what most likely had happened.

The room was a mess. There was stuff lying around everywhere, with almost no flat surface left in the clear. Catra bit her tongue to stop herself from teasing Adora about it.

Figuring it would still take her a while to be ready, Catra cleared a spot on the bed and sat down. From what she could see, Adora had turned the mirror into a makeshift board. A variety of papers and photos covered most of its surface. She was attempting to fix her hair, but her gaze wasn’t focused on her reflection at all.

Catra hated to be the one responsible for getting them there on time but the alternative was letting Adora be late. She wouldn’t take it well, and she already had enough things stressing her tonight. Catra allowed herself to sigh as she got up. She paused by the bedside table, which held an assortment of jewelry.

“You should wear this one.” Without waiting for a reply, Catra placed the accessory on her hair. Adora scowled at her reflection, but she didn’t take it out.

Something about the chaos of the room caught Catra’s eye. "Is that an obstacle course?"

Adora scowled again, finally turning to face her. "Maybe. I just want today to go well."

Catra nodded, but didn't reply. As far as she was concerned, the Horde should be left to rot.

She watched as Adora walked around the place, throwing random things into her purse.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," she said as she stopped next to her again.

"I'm pretty sure it was the other way around."

"Maybe." Adora grabbed the ends of Catra's bowtie. Instead of tying it, she just pulled at the fabric until she was satisfied with the way it sat around Catra's neck. She took a step behind, tilting her head as she looked her over.

"You look good," she declared after a few seconds.

Catra smirked. “Of course. You do too.” Adora always looked good without her putting in any kind of effort. It was completely unfair. But then again, most things about Adora were.

Adora waved the compliment away. “I don’t think the way I look is important.”

“You do know who we are dealing with here, right?”

Adora spent so much time trying to be prepared, but she always forgot to factor in the most important thing: not everyone thought like her. But that’s why she had Catra. Adora could play at niceness and integrity all she wanted, but most people didn't concern themselves with it. Luckily for them, neither did Catra.

“Of course, I’ve done my research. Now, c’mon. We are going to be late.”

“And whose fault would that be?” Catra complained, but Adora didn’t pay her any attention as she pushed her towards the door.

Catra had to hurry to match her pace but even then, Adora didn’t let go of her hand. So that’s how they entered the reception a few minutes later. Hand in hand, Adora marching forward like she was going to war. Catra was having a hard time pretending that she wasn’t still trying to keep up with her.

They made it a whole total of ten steps before Adora starting freaking out. A personal record for her.

Catra lead her to a secluded corner.

“Catra,” she said, her voice close to a whisper, “we shouldn’t be here. I can’t do this.”

Adora’s grip was strong. Catra put her free hand on her shoulder. “We are here because you are probably the only person at this party who actually gives a shit about those kids. We are going to make sure they get taken care of. So get it together, you have a multitude to charm.”

Adora pulled her into a hug. She squeezed and Catra couldn’t help but wince. Adora really needed to learn how to control her strength. She would have told her so, but Adora chose that moment to hide her face on her neck. Catra went very still. She counted the seconds, knowing that Adora was doing it too, but for very different reasons.

She had reached twenty when Adora let her go. Stepping back, Adora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, the worried frown had been replaced by a determined expression. She squared her shoulders. If Catra hadn’t know it wasn’t possible, she would have said she was standing a bit taller. Adora had come here with one goal, and she would not leave without seeing it accomplished.

“Ready?”

Catra bared her teeth. “Ready.”

Adora slid her arm around her waist and, together, they went to face the host.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn’t hard to find Mrs. S. They had been lucky not to bump directly into her when they had first walked in. An informal queue had formed around her. Small groups would stand around while waiting for their turn to give their greetings. 

They, however, didn’t have to wait at all. The second she spotted Adora, Mrs. S. dislodged herself from her entourage and made her way towards them. Even after all these years, Catra had never been able to figure out the reason behind the strange fixation the woman had on her best friend. She had wasted a lot of time thinking about it. It was usually followed by questioning why Catra herself wasn’t worth the same treatment.  

“Adora,” S. said, extending her arms. Her long-sleeved dress moved with her, giving the illusion that the fabric would envelop Adora in a suffocating embrace. Not that S. would ever actually try to hug anyone. She wouldn’t even know the meaning of the word. “I’m so glad you were able to make it.” Even if she was smiling, there was something about her face that remained stiff, expressionless. 

“I did! And I brought Catra with me.” She tugged her closer to emphasize her point. 

“Oh yes... Catra.” How could she manage to convey so much aversion without even moving a muscle? It was her one and only talent, but she exceeded at it. 

She raised her hand a hand in mock salute. “Hey Mrs. S.” 

“I hope you enjoy the ball.” There was no doubt in Catra’s mind that when she said you, she referred solely to Adora. “We’ve been graced by the presence of some very important people this year. I’m sure you’ll make sure they are adequately entertained. After all, we depend on them to keep this institution running as it should.” 

And, there it was. Of course, S. would never be nice to anyone without an ulterior motive. Not even to Adora. After all this time, she still expected her to do her dirty work for her. 

“I’ve come prepared,” Adora said, because old habits die hard and pleasing Mrs. S. was the oldest habit of them all. “We’ll get right on that. But before that, we wanted you to be the first one to know...” She hesitated for a second. Her grip on Catra was so strong it was getting hard to keep the grimace off her face. “Catra and I are together. Dating. We are dating. We are a couple.” 

Catra didn’t need to fake her chuckle. “I think she got the message.” 

This time, Mrs. S.’ expression was really frozen in place. “You two...” 

“Yep.” Catra put her arm around Adora’s shoulders, mananging to draw her even closer. Mrs. S. looked from her hand, to the one Adora still had resting on Catra's hip.

“This is recent.” 

“Not really. It’ll be fifteen months in two weeks.” 

“We wanted to tell you in person,” Adora added. 

“I see.” 

“Well, it was a pleasure talking to you, but we have a party to get back to. See you around, S.” 

They stepped away, and their place was quickly claimed by another person. Catra risked throwing a look over her shoulder and she caught the second it took her to compose herself before turning to address the newcomer. 

They broke into giggles the moment they were out of earshot. 

“Did you see her face?” They hadn't let go of each other and their shoulders kept knocking together, Catra was laughing too hard to stay upright. If it weren’t for Adora’s hold she would be on the floor. 

“For a moment there I really thought she was going to murder you on the spot.” 

“Me too! It was amazing.” This was by far the best idea Adora had ever had. Seeing S. so rattled had made everything worth it. 

It was a while before their laughing subsided. Adora, of course, couldn’t let her enjoy the moment for long. She was the first one to straighten herself, carefully smoothing her dress. 

“I doubt that’ll be the last we see of her tonight. Try not to wander off by yourself.” 

Catra rolled her eyes. “I’m not afraid of S., Adora. You don’t have to babysit me.” 

Worry lines formed on her forehead. “I know that, but this was my idea, remember? I don’t want you to have to deal with its consequences alone.” She started fixing the way the jacket sat on Catra’s shoulders. 

Catra repressed the impulse to bat her hands away. “Whatever you say, princess.” 

Adora’s hands stilled. “Princess?” 

“Yeah, couples get pet names, right?” 

Adora eyed her suspiciously. “You hate princesses.” 

“I’m sorry, you expect me to call you...what? Pumpkin?” 

Adora snorted. “That’s terrible.” She gave a last tug to the jacket before letting her hands fall. The determined expression was back in place. “Ok, let's do this.” 

Catra offered her arm. “Lead the way, princess.” 


	5. Chapter 5

Their first stop was the food table. Adora had insisted it was the perfect vantage point or whatever. Once they got there she looked more interested in filling her plate than in examining the room so Catra wasn't sure she believed her. But it did let her be the first one to spot Scorpia, so maybe there was some truth to it after all.

“Uh, I’ll be right back,” she said already moving away. Adora had busied herself with the appetizers and only have her a noise of acknowledgement. 

Catra intercepted Scorpia before she could make it to where Adora was standing. She was walking so quickly she landed right into Scorpia’s open arms. 

“Catra! Hi!” 

“Hi Scorp.” It was hard to think a good strategy with Scorpia squeezing all the air out of her. “I thought you weren’t coming to this?” 

“It was really last minute. It’s a funny story, actually...” 

Scorpia started her tale, but Catra barely paid any attention to what she was saying. Knowing her, she wouldn’t mind repeating it later. She'd probably do it without being prompted at all. Catra had made a huge miscalculation by not at least preparing for the possibility of Scorpia being here. After all, if there was anyone who posed a real threat to her, it was Scorpia. She had ever since she had learned about her feelings for Adora. 

Unlike them, Scorpia hadn’t spent her earlier years at the Horde. Her family had passed away when she was sixteen and they had left her quite a bit of money. Most of it had been off-limits until she reached adulthood, but of course Hordak hadn’t wasted his time taking advantage of what was accessible to them. Scorpia, being Scorpia, had not only continued to financially support the orphanage after she was old enough to be able to choose to do so, but she had also spent most of her time volunteering at the institution. 

They hadn't really crossed paths until the year Adora got of age and had to leave the orphanage. Catra hadn’t taken it well, to put it lightly. She had gotten violent and taciturn. Or well, even more violent and taciturn. She had shut everyone out, including Adora. She had refused to take her calls, she had refused to open her letters, she had refused to see her. Rules or not rules, Adora had left. She had packed her things, taken a scholarship, and moved to a different city. 

Scorpia had found her alone and full of resentment but she had stayed with her in spite of that. Probably because of that. She really believed she could fix anything with hugs. It had worked in her case but it was not like Catra would ever admit to that. And after, Scorpia was the one to help her and Adora get on their feet. Once Catra had snuck out of the building at midnight on her birthday, found Adora waiting for her on the front steps, and had let herself start to heal. 

So there was really no other person she could have run to, quite literally, the second she had realized she was in love with Adora. That hadn’t been a good night for Catra either. 

And now, she had to choose: she could either tell Scorpia about their ruse and risk her exposing it by mistake, or she could let her stay in the dark and risk her revealing her deepest secret. Ok, maybe it wasn’today that much of a choice. 

At least she waited until Scorpia was done talking before interrupting her. “Hey Scorp? I need to tell you something, but you have to promise that you won’t tell anybody, ok?” 

“A secret? I love secrets!” She wasn’t exactly whispering. 

Catra pressed her lips and looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Can you keep your voice down?” Scorpia grimaced, so Catra tried to soften her tone. “It’s important.” 

Scorpia nodded, doing a show of keeping her mouth shut. Catra sighed. 

“I’m here with Adora, I'm her date.” And wow, was it weird to say it out loud like that. Lying to S. had been different. That hadn’t meant anything. But saying those words to Scorpia... In another circumstances, it would have been a dream come true. Other circumstances that would probably never come true. 

Scorpia didn’t give her much time to dwell on the thought. “You finally-” 

Catra pounced on her, covering her mouth with her hand. She frantically glanced back to see if Adora had heard, but she was still too preoccupied with the food. 

“It’s not real!” she hissed. In hindsight, she should have led with that. “We are just pretending we are so we can screw with S.” 

Scorpia blinked a few times. She tried to speak but Catra's hand was still firmly in place. She let her go slowly, glaring at her. Not that her glares had ever worked on Scorpia, but they couldn’t hurt either. 

“Why?” she said in an exaggerated whisper. 

“Why?” 

“Yeah, why? What’s the point?” 

Catra furrowed her brow, confused. “To piss off S.” Hadn’t she said that already? 

“That seems unnecessarily complicated.” 

In her defense, patience had never been Catra’s strongest suit. “It’s not. I just need you to play along and don’t tell anyone. And most importantly, I need you not to tell Adora about... you know what.” 

Another thing that didn’t deter Scorpia: Catra’s shortness. “So you had the perfect opportunity to say ‘hey Adora, why don’t we make this fake date a real date?’ and you didn’t?” 

Catra crossed her arms. “I don’t sound like that. And you know why I can’t do that.” 

“Because you are still dealing with deep emotional trauma that prevents you from believing you are good enough for her?” 

“What? Of course not!” 

Before she could react, Scorpia had taken a step forward and enveloped her in a second hug. “There, there, kitty. It’ll be alright.” 

Catra didn’t have the energy to fight the hug or the nickname. She was starting to regret this whole thing. She could always bail. She had already done what she had come to do anyway. If Adora was so set in her little mission, she could handle it herself. Catra had promised to come but she had never promised to stay. She had gotten Adora through the hardest part, Adora could deal with the rest. 

She made the mistake of glancing over Scorpia’s shoulder. Adora looked up just in time to meet her eyes. She smiled and waved with the hand holding a shrimp. 

Damn her, and her dumb face, and, above all, damn Catra for being unable to resist her. 

"Listen, can we drop it? I promise we can talk about my feelings or whatever some other time. Just not today, ok?” 

Scorpia set her down. “Great! Tonight is going to be so much fun with all of us together, I just know it.” 


	6. Chapter 6

Perfuma (the woman behind Plumeria, the biggest ecological reserve on the country) and Mermista  (CEO of Salinas, a company she had inherited the company from her father. It had been at the brink of bankruptcy when she had taken over but she had managed to it bring back to its earlier glory.) were as nice as most sources claimed. Well, at least Perfuma. Most of what she had read hadn’t been too kind on Mermista. But Adora quickly understood that her dry humor and curt manners weren’t a sign of animosity.  

“Adora!” someone exclaimed behind her, and she barely had time to react before she was being lifted from the ground in a hug. If it were almost any other, they would’ve gotten a kick on the gut for it. But Adora had gotten used to Scorpia’s enthusiastic greetings a long time ago. 

She was still laughing as Scorpia set her down next to Catra. “It’s nice to see you too, Scorpia!” She turned back to her guests. “These are Perfuma and Mermista. And this is Catra.”  

“Her girlfriend,” she said, as she slipped an arm around her waist. Adora did not shiver at the contact. “So, what were you guys talking about?” 

“I was just telling them about what growing up in the Horde was like.” 

“Um, actually, we were talking about Adora being like, a hero?” 

Adora felt her cheeks heat up. “It’s not-I’m not. I was actually just doing my job.” 

She needed to steer the conversation the conversation back to the Horde. Actually, any topic would be better than that one. 

"Trust me, the Horde is exactly the place where Adora learned to be a hero.” 

Adora knew, she  _knew_  that that Catra was teasing her. She loved to mock her for what she called her ‘hero-complex’. Catra had never put much stock in saviors. But Adora could have sworn that this time there was something else on her voice, hidden behind sickly-sweet fakeness and half-veiled sarcasm. Something that almost sounded like...pride. That didn’t exactly help calm the burning on her face. 

But Catra had done exactly what she needed. She had redirected the conversation back to the Horde and praised it, all in one swift comment. Adora didn’t know what she’d do without her. She was so smart. She sometimes wondered why she’d chose to be her friend at all. She could be doing anything right now. She could be with anyone she wanted. But she was here with her, in a place she loathed. All because Adora had asked. She was so lucky to have her. 

Mermista and Perfuma politely followed her lead and asked questions about the orphanage. Relieved, Adora was able to make all the points she thought could convince them to join their cause. Scorpia’s natural cheerfulness made them sound all the more sincere. And Catra...well, Catra wasn’t that interested in the conversation. She would answer if addressed directly or if Adora faltered, but for the most of the time she applied herself to her favorite pastime: messing with Adora. 

For one, her hands never left her body. That didn’t mean they stayed still though. She grabbed her hand and played with her fingers. When Adora finally made a hand gesture grand enough to force her to let go, she simply put them on her waist again. Once, she reached forward to carefully tuck a lock of hair behind Adora’s ear. 

But Adora was used to her tricks, and she knew that the best way to fight it was to pretend to be unaffected by the whole thing. So she carried on, pretending that her heart wasn’t at her throat, that her hands weren’t shaking from the effort she was making to stop herself from reaching for her too. 

Catra wasn’t satisfied with that. She started whispering in her ear. It wasn’t a constant thing. Just a passing comment here and there. It grew significantly harder to remain impassive after that. 

It wasn’t even what she said that kept distracting Adora. It was the closeness. A subtle shift of her weight, a gentle hand on her shoulder and lips grazing her skin. Catra was difficult enough to ignore on a regular day, now it was nearly impossible. Adora was not strong enough. More than anything, it was the anticipation that got to her. The not knowing what would come next. She had to force her movements to remain casual, but on the inside she felt jittery. Ready to spring. 

She was in the middle of explaining what they hoped achieve with tonight’s fundraiser and, most importantly, how donors could help shape the future of the Horde, when she felt it again. Catra leaning into her space. But she didn't talk right away, and Adora could feel her breath on her neck. She willed herself not to react even as her stomach tied itself into a knot. 

Another puff of air. She could imagine Catra’s expression as she made her dramatic pause. The knot grew tighter. “I could go for a burger right now.” 

Aggravated, Adora turned sharply to face her. She didn’t expect Catra to be so close though. She hadn’t given her enough time to move away, and Adora found herself staring at her, their noses almost touching. All thoughts of funds, and donors, and even of yelling at Catra for being an annoyance promptly left her head. She was stuck. Her mind felt like cotton, her body like lead. There was nothing but the feeling of Catra's hand on her shoulder, and the ghost of the distance between them. Then suddenly, Catra smirked and turned back to their group, picking up from when Adora had trailed off like it was nothing. She had never even noticed she had stopped talking. 

Adora wasn’t sure what her face was doing at the moment, but she was sure it wasn’t good. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She realized her mouth was hanging open and she slammed it shut. She wanted to hide her face behind her hands and leave. But she couldn't do that. She had let herself get distracted and now she had to deal with it. She still had a mission to carry out. She took a second to compose herself before trying to rejoin the conversation.  

Her resolve only lasted for a second. Perfuma was looking at her. She giggled when she saw Adora looking back. And once again she felt the need to hide, to explain.  _It’s not like that._  But that was exactly what they wanted them to believe. That they were like that. Defeated, she left embarrassment get the best of her and ignored most of what was being said for the next few minutes. Catra continued to lead the talk, her lips still curled in a satisfied expression. Oh, how she would love to... 

Perfuma clapped her hands in excitement, catching her attention. 

“You should meet Glimmer!” she said, a light bounce on her feet. 

“Glimmer?” 

“She’s the daughter of Angela Queen. They are like, Bright Moon royalty or whatever. She couldn’t show up today so she sent Glimmer instead." 

“You can introduce us to her?” 

“Of course! She’ll love you, c’mon.” 

Perfuma grabbed a hold of Mermista, and they walked away. The rest of them followed, but Adora let herself fall a couple of steps behind. Catra had automatically offered her am, and she used it to draw her close enough to whisper in her ear. 

“That was low Catra, even for you.” 

“Oh Adora, you know nothing is too low for me.” 

She giggled, clearly enjoying herself. She looked completely at ease for the first time since they had gotten on that plane. Adora felt a wave of warmth wash over her. She laughed along with her.  

“What was that anyway?” She tried to nudge her shoulder with hers, but with the way they were locked onto each other she ended up pushing them both off course. 

Catra did her best to avoid them falling to the ground but she didn’t answer. Some of the tension was already settling back. 

Adora watched her for a few seconds, trying to read the new awkward atmosphere. “Oooookey.” she finally said, deciding it was best to move on. “Thanks for helping me out by the way. Even if it was your fault I needed it in the first place.” 

Catra flashed her teeth. “You are welcome princess.” 

Adora tried to shove her again, and this time Catra laughed as she pushed her back. 

"Adora, there you are,” Mrs S. said. She put a hand on her shoulders, effectively getting her to stand upright. She steadily guided her away from their little group. Catra let her arm fall from her grasp without a fight. “There’s some people here who are dying to speak with you.” 

Helpless, she could only look back to send Catra a desperate look. A shrug was all she got in reply. 

 _Tell them to wait for me_ _,_  she mouthed. 

Catra rolled her eyes but nodded. Her smile turned sharper. She didn’t have to actually say the words for her to get the message.  _Have fun_. 


	7. Chapter 7

There was no way in hell Catra would have followed Adora straight into S.’ clutches, but that meant that now she was in charge of dealing with these people. She could never win when it came to Adora. 

Ugh. 

They were waiting for her, Adora's abduction hadn't gone unnoticed. 

“S. needed her for some PR crap. She’ll be back soon.” Cursing wasn’t as fun without Adora there to glare at her, but at least she could drop the fake smile for a few seconds. 

They nodded in understanding. Of course. 

“So, about you and Adora...” Perfuma said, and Catra’s blood boiled. In her defense, it had been quietly simmering for a while now.

“It’s really serious, yes.” 

Perfuma giggled and Catra was careful to keep her closed fist out of sight. 

“Yeah no kidding.” 

“You are such a cute couple. Your combined energy is so lovely.” 

The fake smile was back in place and it was so strained it’d probably hurt later. “It is. Oh, I’m sorry, did any of you, before I got here...?” she trailed off, feigning embarrassment. Scorpia was looking at her with either disappointment or pride. Probably the latter. Catra made for a really good actor. 

Perfume turned as pink as her dress. “Oh no, no, of course not...” 

“I mean, yeah, your girlfriend is super hot,” interrupted Mermista and Perfuma’s blush went three shades darker. “But no, I have a boyfriend.” 

Perfuma turned abruptly to look at her. “You do?” 

“Um, yeah? Sea Hawk? You’ve seen us together like, a bunch of times.” 

Catra hadn’t known Perfuma for very long, but she'd bet her face wasn't used to go through so many emotions in such a short space of time. Scorpia cut through whatever was going on between them. 

“Is he here tonight?” 

“Nah, I ditched him.” 

“You ditched him.”

“Yeah he started singing again so I made him get out of the car. But whatever, he always makes it back anyway.” 

Well, Catra didn’t care enough to try and unpack all that. Perfuma asked more questions, but she tuned them out. She looked around the room, trying to... 

“Looking for someone?” 

She jumped. Adora was next to her, bent at the waist and shaking from laughter. Catra elbowed her on the side before taking a step away. It only made her giggle even harder. Catra scowled as she subtly rubbed her arms. 

“I’m sorry but that was so funny.” 

“Sure, whatever.” 

Adora stood upright, wiping tears from her eyes. “You should have seen your face.” 

“Ok, I get it, Adora.” But she couldn’t fight her own smile any longer. Adora laughing so openly on a room that also contained S. was something that had never happened before. “Did you have fun meeting your fans, princess? 

All the mirth drained from her face. “Ugh, no. They were all so gross, Catra. One of them even asked for a picture with me and then he tried to put his hand on my ass.” 

Her tone had attracted the attention of the rest of their group and they all groaned in disgust. Catra had half a mind to ask who had done it, make a joke about beating him up. But Adora would see that for the truth that it was. By the looks on the others, she couldn’t be the only one who was thinking about it. 

But paying close attention to Adora, and the way she held herself... 

“What did you do?” 

“I dodged it, suggested to take a picture shaking hands instead and then crushed his so hard he should feel it for the rest of the night.” 

Catra cackled, Mermista looked impressed. 

“We promise Bow and Glimmer are nothing like that. Oh, there they are!” Perfuma held onto Catra’s arm, the one who was closest, and dragged her away. She shot her an incredulous look, but she missed it. Catra could fell Adora laughing at her behind them. 

“Glimmer! Bow!” 

Great, now she was waving enthusiastically while using her arm for support. They finally caught up to them, and Perfuma made the introductions. But Catra didn’t need her to know who Glimmer was. She could understand getting saddled with a terrible name, ok? But did she really have to look like...that? The pink, the glitter, the purple. Was there something wrong with this kid? 

“And this is Adora.” 

She shook Glimmer’s hand with surgical precision. Her face looked open and friendly, but Catra could see the line that formed between her eyes, and the tense set of her shoulders. 

As it turned out, Adora had been right to be so anxious. Despite her best (and Catra’s halfhearted) efforts, it didn’t take long for the conversation to careen out of control. The Glimmer girl might have had a terrible fashion sense but it looked like she had at least enough sense to see the Horde for the steaming pile of bullshit that it was. 

“So why spend all this money on a fancy party that is nothing more than a pat on the back of all these-” 

“Well-” Adora tried to interject, but Glimmer had been ranting for the last couple of minutes and by now she had amassed enough steam to go right over her. 

“I mean, the kids aren’t even here and we are eating crab!” 

“Actually, I thought they’d be here as well...” 

Once again, Glimmer ignored her in favor of continuing with her tirade. Every word she said added to the oppressive weight of the atmosphere. Perfuma was clutching at her gold necklace like a lifeline, murmuring a mantra to herself. Adora’s resolve had clearly died along the way. Even Mermista was grimacing. Catra was seriously impressed with her ability to completely crush everyone's mood.

“Ok! Thank you, Glimmer, I’m sure everyone here appreciates your passion.” Finally, Bow had decided to take matters into his own hands. A bit too late, if you asked Catra, but it wasn’t as if she had done anything either. As much as she knew how much this all meant to Adora, she couldn’t argue with anything that Glimmer had said. “Adora, Catra, Scorpia,” she nodded at each of them at the same he put his hands on his friend’s shoulders and started to subtly push her away. “It was lovely meeting you! See you around!” 

The remaining group watched them leave in silence. Glimmer didn’t wait until they were out of earshot to start talking again, this time interjecting it with complaints to Bow for not backing her up. 

“Well, that was awkward. I think I’m going to leave now,” Mermista said, taking Perfuma with her. 

To her credit, Adora didn’t look like all of her hopes and dreams for the evening had been stomped on by a grown up wearing body glitter. But she did look she was about to punch her way through the nearest wall so Catra judged it smart to find a way to distract her, and quickly. She told Scorpia that they’d find her later before hauling her to the dance floor. 

It wasn’t like there were many options for them. Besides, dancing was safe. It gave Adora structure, something to follow, and a place to put all of her nervous energy. It also isolated her from the rest of the party. The last thing they needed was for some asshole to get on her bad side while she was this upset. While the idea of S. having to escort her precious Adora out for knocking out one of the guests was a temping one, Adora would never forgive herself. And neither would Catra. 

Adora took her position in front of Catra without complaint. The song was slow, and they barely had to think about the steps. 

“I really screwed this up, Catra.” 

She didn’t reply, choosing instead to twirl her around. 

“We’ll never get Angela’s support now. And Glimmer is so influential, you saw the way the others talked about her, and now she hates us, and if she tells the other to stay away from us-” another twirl. “It’s hopeless.” 

“Is that it?” 

Adora stayed silent, letting Catra guide her around the ballroom.  

“You didn’t ruin anything. That girl was clearly against us before we had even talked to her, and she never stopped to hear you out. And who cares about that spoiled brat anyway? She’s not our only option. There’s still a whole room of rich suckers that you can smile into submission.” 

“But-” 

“No, Adora. You either want to do this, or you don’t. I won’t try to convince you to stay.” 

She gave her another spin, the song changing as Adora came to face her again. She took a step closer, hooking her arms behind Catra’s neck. Catra had to force herself to maintain eye contact; Adora’s gaze had shifted to something different. Something earnest. She felt goosebumps go up her arms. It was one thing for her to touch Adora, that had always been the norm after all. But Adora hardly ever initiated it herself. It meant that Catra was irritatingly defenseless against it. At least she hadn’t flinched this time. 

But Adora was right there, so close she could see the clouds on her grey eyes. And more than that, she was smiling at Catra. It was the kind of smile that made her feel like she was her whole word. She’d never believe it, of course, but sometimes she made it damn hard not to. It didn’t help that there were days where Catra felt like all she ever did was chase for that smile. 

“You are the best, Catra.” 

Painfully aware of how lost in her she was, Catra tried to brush her off with some halfhearted attempt at nonchalance. But of course, Adora could never make anything easy for her. 

“No, seriously. I don’t know what I’d do without you. And I don’t mean just tonight. You are the best friend I could ever ask for.” 

Catra watched her. Her smile, the fierce glint in her eyes. She took stock of the way her arms fit around her, the nonexistent distance between their chests. Her sincerity, her innocence, her warmth. Everything she could ever want, and she had it. She did. Right there, in front of her. 

She had it, and yet, she wanted more. Adora had always given her love freely, never caring much about whether it was deserved or not. She had been her closest friend since either of them could remember. When Adora had left, it had almost broken her. And, in turn, Catra had almost broken them. 

But she moved on from the hurt, with some help. She healed, she realized she couldn’t build her life around Adora. A good thing too because it was unlikely she’d be forgiven for what she had done. And yet, she was. Adora had come back. She had wanted to build a life with her too. And Catra, selfish Catra, had taken that opportunity and never looked back. 

She did look forward though, she knew she wouldn’t have this forever. She knew that even now, she was being selfish. Greedy. She took everything Adora gave her, and still, she wished for more. But Catra wasn’t what she once was. All Adora wanted was a friend, and damn if she wasn’t going to be the best friend she could be for her. And when the time came for Adora to want for other things, Catra would let her go, peacefully this time, and she’d be grateful for the time they did get to have.

She hoped Adora didn’t notice how shaky the breath she took was; or how, when she blinked, it took her a second more than necessary to open her eyes again; or how unstable her smile felt. 

“Of course.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mermista noticed that Sea Hawk wasn't as recovered from the flu as he said he was and that's why she dropped him off, at his apartment. Catra would have heard that if she hadn't been so concentrated on spotting Adora.  
> I'm super excited because I finally managed to finish maping out the rest of the fic! Like, I had an outline since the begining, but there were a couple of gaps between important scenes. A lot of ????????s. Writing is fun. But yeah not anymore! Now I just need to steal enough time from studying for midterms to dedicate to writing...


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who survived school 🎉

Life didn’t seem too keen on giving Catra a break that night. That must have been why they found Perfuma and Mermista waiting for them on the outskirts of the dancefloor. 

At any other moment, the melodramatic distress in Perfuma’s face would have made her laugh. Tonight, she could barely suppress a groan. Seriously, the woman looked like she was at the verge of tears.  

She started talking as soon as they came closer. “Adora! Catra! We were hoping to catch you. We are so sorry; we had no idea-” 

She was clinging to Mermista’s arm, who had a clear grimace on her face but still valiantly held onto her impassive tone. “Yeah, we had no idea Glimmer would be so unchill.” 

Perfuma carried on, “She’s not usually so rude! She had the most unsettling argument with Angela and...” 

“Uh, she’s always fighting with her mom though.” 

Perfuma turned sharply to face her, her hold on her arm turning more violent. 

Adora threw her hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “Guys!” the volume of her voice managed to get their attention. “Seriously, it’s fine. Glimmer is right about everything she said. But can’t you see it?” Shoulders back, confident smile, fire in her eyes; Adora was back. “That’s why we have to fight this! This is why we have to help the Horde! If we get the support we need, we could-” 

“-the subject is now attempting to earn the collaboration of her allies by engaging them in-” 

There was a beat of silence as the group turned around and found a woman crouching behind them. She was dressed in casual pants and a t-shirt. Minicupcake in one hand, recording device in the other. 

“...hello Entrapta.” 

Entrapta looked up, unfazed at finding everyone staring at her. “Adora! Hey!” 

The expression on Perfuma’s face was too complicated for Catra to decipher. “You were recording what she said?” 

That got Entrapta to finally stand up and meet them at eye level. “Why, yes of course! It’s always necessary to keep a detailed register of all experiments.” 

“Experiments?” 

“Social experiments are just as-” 

“Ok Entrapta, I think you’ve freaked them out enough for a first meeting.” 

“Catra! Hi! I didn’t see you there.” The recorder was up and running again before Catra could react. “Subject 2 has a hand on Adora’s waist, and their shoulders are touching. Body language suggests that she has finally-” 

Catra’s heart jumped to her throat. “Say, Trapta, aren’t you forgetting something?” 

Entrapta looked from her to the voice recorder, then to Adora, then back to the voice recorder. She tapped her chin. “I’m inferring I missed a particular social cue?” 

Catra snorted, “several, in fact, but I wasn’t talking about that. Shouldn’t you have been at work today? I don’t remember seeing you request any time off.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I hacked into our databases ages ago. It makes no difference.” 

Adora, the big traitor, giggled next to her as Catra suppressed a groan. “Um, you realize you are not supposed to tell me stuff like that, right?” 

Entrapta tugged on one of her ponytails. “Why not?” 

“Because I’m your boss?” 

Mean, mean Adora doubled over laughing. She didn’t understand how hard it was to be in charge of these people. Where was Lonnie when she needed her? 

“Right! Well, I left Kyle in charge anyway so I’m sure everything will be fine!” 

It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured on her. “Kyle is what?” 

She didn’t stay to hear Entrapta’s reply. Her phone was out the second she stepped away.

“Lonnie? Hi, yes, please tell me nothing is on fire.” 

By the time she had been assured that everything was running smoothly and that she still had her company to go back home to, their little group had grown. Scorpia had joined them and so had that Bow guy, although there were no signs of the sparkly abomination. She started making her way over there before she realized, Adora wasn’t with them anymore. She stopped dead in her tracks, only to suddenly duck out of the way when she noticed Entrapta was turning to look her way. She had had enough social interaction to last her a lifetime.

She found Adora was sitting by herself at one of the round tables. A plate of untouched food and two glasses in front of her. She slid one of them towards Catra as she sat down next to her.  

“Everything alright?” Adora asked as she laid her head on Catra’s shoulder. 

Catra adjusted herself on the chair to give her a better angle. “Lonnie has it handled, as usual. Sometimes I swear there’s only one person with enough sense in that whole building.” She sighed, burrowing herself further into her seat. She could feel a headache coming. Well, in truth it had been there since they had arrived at the party but it had been easier to ignore before. 

“One person and you.” 

She took a sip of her glass, swallowing the urge to sigh again. “Of course, but I’m not there.” 

“You worry too much. You said it yourself, Lonnie has it handled.” 

“Yes but-” 

Adora turned towards her, her hands idly adjusting the lapels of Catra’s suit. Catra considered protesting at her change in positioning. Wishful thinking, it wasn’t something Catra would do. “But you build that company from the ground up, and had to fight with tooth and nail to put it where it is now. I know, but guess what? You did a great job; and you chose the best people to help you with it. Including Lonnie. It won’t fall apart because you take one night off and relax.” 

She chuckled darkly. “You call this relaxing?” Catra gestured with her glass towards the room. The people. The banners filled with pictures of smiling kids and the words The Horde written in big, bold letters. 

Adora’s hands stilled. She twisted her mouth, but didn’t comment. She went back to resting her head on Catra’s shoulders, but Catra could feel her tension even in that light contact. 

Anger flared up on Catra’s chest. It was just like Adora to get angry at something like this. She had dragged her all the way here, guilt-tripped her into helping with yet another of her useless schemes and all for what? To make Adora feel better about herself. She didn’t give a shit about how Catra felt about all this. Catra had told her again and again how sick this all made her but Adora hadn’t cared. And now she was pissed at Catra being unhappy about going along with this charade. 

She closed her eyes, focusing on the slight pressure of Adora’s body on hers. She took a deep breath. These were old thoughts. Adora hadn’t forced her to do anything. Catra had come along willingly, because she wanted to help her. Adora would have understood if Catra had refused to go along with it. She had even agreed to take a part in a silly scheme to make S. uncomfortable just because Catra had asked. For all she knew Adora wasn’t even angry at her right now, a quick gesture wasn’t enough to know exactly what was upsetting her. A couple of hours back in and this place was already messing with her head.

Catra tugged on the tips of Adora’s ponytail. 

“I’ve been thinking of letting it grow,” Adora said. Her tone was soft, she was more tired than she had let on. “And maybe start wearing it loose more.” 

“You hate it when your hair gets longer.” 

“I know, but it would look better.” 

Catra snorted, “your hair is fine you dumb face.” 

That got her a giggle, but neither of them tried to pick up the conversation again. Catra was about to suggest discretely leaving and finding Adora’s favorite ice cream shop instead, when her eyes landed on Glimmer. She was alone on another table, looking pretty much miserable. 

Damn Adora, always pushing her to be better. Damn herself for actually listening to her. 

She poked Adora on the waist, then subtly gestured to where Glimmer was sitting. “You want to try again?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone would be interested, but I figured I'd ask anyway: would anyone want to help me out betaing the last chapters? My goal is to finish writing this before classes pick up again in August, but proofreading takes a lot of energy from me that I don't really have right now.  
> It'd be mostly just reading it over and making sure there aren't any typos/grammar mistakes. English isn't my first language so I tend to get too caught up in making sure everything is perfect 😅  
> Here's my [tumblr](http://www.thebravething.tumblr.com) so feel free to shoot me an ask there.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Extremely short recap: the last chapter ended with Catra suggesting that she and Adora should have one last try at getting Glimmer to support their cause.)

Adora couldn’t believe it. “Seriously?” 

“Yeah, why not.” 

“I thought you’d be begging to leave by now.” 

Catra shrugged, “I have my moments. But after that...” 

“We’ll go find ice cream, of course.” 

Adora got up from the table and straightened her dress. When she looked up, she found Catra smiling softly at her. It was Adora’s favorite smile, and she highly suspected it was one Catra didn’t even notice herself making. Sometimes-when sleep was hard to find, and Adora was too tired to stop her thoughts from wandering down dangerous paths-, she pictured that same smile, telling herself how she might be the only one lucky enough to see it. 

For not the first time that night, Adora wanted to reach for her. To take her in her arms and hold her close. But that wasn’t something they did, so she quickly busied her hands with tidying up Catra’s outfit too. Catra rolled her eyes, but didn’t complain as Adora ajusted her collar and straightened up the already perfect lapels. Her hands lingered for even a moment longer, still resting on Catra’s arms as she struggled to let go. She finally dropped them back to her side. In turn, Catra extended her arm, and Adora couldn’t help but smile as she took it.  

The buzzing of Catra’s phone stopped them from actually moving forwards. She pulled it out, took a glance at the name on the screen and groaned. 

“I have to take this, could be important.” 

“Of course,” Adora replied, but Catra had already accepted the call and walked a few feet away.  

Adora watched her, saw her irritation grow as the other person spoke. After a few seconds, Catra turned back, rolling her eyes at her. Adora motioned for her not to worry about it. It didn’t look like Glimmer would go anywhere soon. 

But, as she turned her gaze to the girl in question, she felt compelled to approach her anyway. Glimmer had her arm stretched out on the table, resting her head on it like a pillow. Adora didn’t feel particularly moved by someone who had been so rude to her, but she had to admit Glimmer looked miserable. 

Catra seemed to be fully engaged in her conversation now, and Adora didn’t want to disturb her. Making up her mind, she walked towards Glimmer’s table. 

“All danced out?” she asked, trying for a cheerful tone. She probably overdid it. Ugh, why did she think she could do this without Catra? Two seconds in and she already felt like she had ruined it. 

Glimmer kept her eyes on the dance floor. “I’m not in the mood right now.” 

Adora tried to think about what Catra would do in her place. Then she decided to say  _screw it_. 

“Look,” she said, taking a seat next to Glimmer, “you're right, ok? The Horde sucks. It’s not the most terrible place, but it’s definitely not good for kids either. They care about money and appearances and basically anything else more than they care about them being happy.” 

Glimmer tilted her head to look sideways at her. “Then why do you want us to help it?” Her words dragged a little, they had none of the fire they had had before. 

“Because it’s the only way to fix it. I’ve tried for years to find a way to take it away from Mrs. S and Hordak. But I can’t do it, not on my own. I don’t have enough money or influence to make a difference. I need someone who does.” 

Glimmer’s eyes strayed back to the dance floor. Adora clenched her fists. This couldn’t be it. She refused to give up.  

Adora had made it. She had gotten out. She had kept Catra. But she couldn’t go on, she could never go on knowing what she had left behind. Those seven months after she had turned eighteen had been the hardest of her life. Thinking of Catra, alone, without Adora there to act as a barrier between her and Mrs. S. It had been torture. 

A torture that repeated itself every time she thought about the Horde. The way it still existed, unchanged; with her now unable to help.  

But if Glimmer didn’t want to listen, then she’d have to find someone who would. She started to get up, but Glimmer spoke again. 

“It’s really that bad?” 

Adora hesitated. She knew speaking about her own experiences at the orphanage was necessary, but that didn’t mean it made it  _easier_. “I mean... we always had enough food and clothes, even if there wasn’t much - and being there was definitely better than being on the streets. We had access to school and health checkups.” She took a deep breath. It released some of the tension, and she realized how tightly she had been holding herself. There was a vague itch on the palms of her hands, and she rubbed her thumb over it. “But...yeah. All the caretakers... The things Mrs. S used to say...all the kids were scared of her. She threatened us, punished us. She was always talking about what a hassle we all wer.  How much she and Hordak had sacrificed to give us a good life. How easily it could all go away if we misbehaved. And kids like that? That have already lost so much, struggled so much? My friend Catra-” 

Adora cut herself off. This wasn’t the way she had wanted to talk about this. She knew the phrases she needed to say, the meanings she had to convey. Years upon years of rehearsing lines, of coming to terms with her childhood. First through therapy, because she needed to learn how to deal with it for herself. Then, when she had started to search for a way to take legal actions against the Horde. But right now, she couldn’t do it. She was exhausted from the night, from the place, from the people- from the fight that she didn’t even want a part in, but one she knew that only she could move forward. 

She stayed silent and so did Glimmer. She knew her words hadn’t been enough. They had barely been coherent. All this hard work, and in the moment of truth, she hadn’t been able to get it right. 

“Let’s say I agree to help you. Do you even have a plan to make it work?” 

It took a second for it to make sense. The words she had been waiting for so long, they were finally before her. All of her exhaustion seemed to vanish, and her determination returned. 

“Yes. Yes I do.” She had been thinking about this for years, of course she had a plan. 

Glimmer sat straight, and moved her chair to face her. “I’m listening.” 

\-- 

Catra hung up her phone.  _Relax, Lonnie can handle it,_ she told herself. The words weren’t as effective as they had been when they were accompanied by Adora’s touch. 

In any case, it wasn't like she had a choice; she was stuck here. She couldn't do much more than yell at her phone and hope this party was already over. It was time to find Adora and finish this, so they could finally leave and Catra could go back to pretending the Horde had caught fire and burned to the ground ages ago. 

“Looking for Adora, I presume? She’s over there.” 

In any other occasion Catra would never have given S the satisfaction of looking at where she was pointing, but Catra had been caught by surprise. Most of her self-control went to suppress a flinch at hearing her voice so close to her, so all the other defenses took a second to kick back in. Her gaze landed exactly where S had wanted it. 

Adora was talking to that Glimmer girl and her friend. They looked very cozy, the three of them standing in a tight circle, oblivious to the rest of the party. Even from this distance Catra could feel how excited she was, how fast she was talking, how comfortable she felt. Glimmer looked very smug after she made Adora snort in laughter, and Bow pulled both of them in for a one-armed hug. She had known him for what? An hour? And she wasn’t kicking him for invading her personal space?  

“Oh Catra, I can’t believe you are still running in circles around her after all these years.” 

Her head whipped back to look at her unwanted companion. If she hadn’t know it was impossible, Catra would have thought the older woman’s expression resembled pity. 

“What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear her earlier? We're together, we're solid. No one is running around anyone.” 

S shook her head almost imperceptibly, the way she used to do when she caught Adora trying to sneak Catra another cookie. “Please, you expect me to believe this act you are putting on? I know you better than anyone Catra. Be honest with yourself, how long can this last?” 

Her temper flared up. “You don’t know anything about me!” 

“But I do Catra, you know that.” 

“All I know is that you are an old, bitter woman whose only talent is getting her frustration out on innocent children.” 

She crossed her arms, clearly done with the conversation but refusing to be the one to back away first. She was an adult now. She didn’t hide from anyone. 

“Can’t you see I was trying to prepare you for the future? I always knew you’d get far. Adora isn’t like you, she couldn’t take it. I worked around her weakness but you...you were always the one I believed in Catra. Now look at you, so big and successful. But you are still making the same mistakes.” 

“That’s not-” 

“-but I guess you won’t have to worry about that much longer.” She looked away, at the place Adora and her new friends were still chattering at. “She’ll push you aside the moment she doesn’t need you anymore. You let her take advantage of you, don't you see?

“You are delusional if you think you have any idea about what’s going on with Adora and I," she said through clenched teeth.

Yeah no, it wasn’t worth it. S had always reveled in seeing how far she could screw them up using only her own words. Catra wasn't going to go along with her mindgames anymore. She could walk away, that proved she had already won. Of course, that was when S’s soft voice reached her again.

“So it was your idea for Adora to move to Bright Moon for her new job?” 

Screw anger, this conversation was outright ridiculous. Catra threw up her hands and didn't even care about raising her voice this time. "What are you talking about? Have you finally lost it?”

S, of course, didn't react. She never did. Her hands were still clasped in front of her. Her mouth didn't curl up with the hint of a smile. The only hint of emotion was ever in her voice, and in her eyes, and she never let it show though when there were other people around to see it. 

Her melodic, monotone voice didn't waver. wave. “She didn't tell you? I guess it is rather sudden, but moving across states is a big decision to make. I thought she’d confer with you first since you two are so... solid.”

“I don’t have time to listen to your bullshit. If you’ll excuse me,” her mocking tone left no doubt about the intent being anything but polite, “I’ll go find my girlfriend so we can both get the hell away from this shitty party.”

She left her there, not sure of where she was going. It felt like her voice was still ringing in her ears, shutting out everything else. How dare she talk to her like that? How dare she talk about Adora like that. Catra knew what she was doing. She knew the place she had in Adora’s life, she would never... 

“Wow, sorry! I didn’t see you there.” 

Catra blinked, and found herself only inches away from Bow, who had his hands in front of him like he was about to grab her. She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. What was he even doing here, wasn’t he with Adora? 

“You’re Adora’s girlfriend, right? She was wondering where you were.” 

Catra grimaced. She was over playing nice for Adora's benefit. She was getting Adora and leaving, rich partigoers be damned. “Right, good, now if you just point me where she is, I’m sure I can figure it out from there.” 

He took a step aside, guiding her eyes to the other side of the room. “She’s over there, see where the snack table is?” 

Catra moved past him, nnotcaring about the conversation anymore. 

He called after her, “She’ll be happy to see you, she has some pretty good news to share!” 

That stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned around slowly, glaring at him. He was grinning, of course, acting like they were already friends or something.

“What news?” 

“Apparently Glimmer and her sorted things out! She’s agreed to help you guys support the Horde, and she even offered Adora a job at her family’s company!”

Catra shouldered him aside, which earned her a yelp of surprise. But she didn't hear anything but the force of her footsteps on the floor, and she didn't see anything but her path to the doors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so close to the end!! I'm so excited!!  
> Amazing news: [Nn11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nny11/pseuds/Nny11) offered to beta for me and they are the sweetest person ever, and their suggestions were _so_ helpful.  
> Thank you so much!!! (Again, bc I've lost count of how many times I've said thanks by now 😅). You can also find them on [tumblr](http://nny11writes.tumblr.com)  
> Also, I'll be completely honest, I could have posted this much sooner, but the fandom's reaction to season 3 was...frustrating, to say the least. It's not going to stop me from enjoying the show or this ship or anything else, but I was ready to jump at the smallest chance to rant my heart away at the time, so I thought it was prudent to take some distance for a little while.  
> I'm still all up for discussing dynamics, characters, plot points, ~~the completely ridiculous bias that seems to exist in this fandom,~~ or literally anything about She-Ra on my [tumblr](http://thebravething.tumblr.com) though, so feel free to message me on there. (I promise I'm actually very nice.)


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